Slicing device



D. SCHULTZ Aug. 14, 1956 SLICING DEVICE Filed Aug. 4 1951 INVENTOR. DA|//0 5CH-U L TZ A TTO/2 NE Y5 nited States Patent C) SLTCING DEVTCEDavid Schultz, Seattle, Wash.

Application August 4, 1951, Serial N0. 240,421

5 Claims. (C1. 198--30) This invention relates to automatic vegetableslioing machines and is primarily concerned with the slicing ot stringbeans lengthwise into (hin strips or shreds for packing purposes. Myeopend-ing -application, Serial N0. 773,212, filed September 10, 1947,and now Patent N0. 2,671550 describes a similar type of slicing machine.Since the development of that :former machine eert-ain improvements anddiscovenies have been made which together with certain subject matterdisclosed in said copending application, co-nstitute the basis of thepresent application. One of the broad objects of the present inventionis to devise improved mechanisrn operable positively to align the stringbeans and present them oriented accurately endwise 10 the slicing means;and, in the same con.nection to devise improvements which minifyclogging or jamming of the beans and resulting WOIk stoppages in themachine.

As in my earlier machine, the preferred aligning mechanism hereinillustrated comprises a sifter grid made up of oppositely acting,generally parallel, elongated, bean supporting elements which swing thestring beans deposited on them, generally endwise until they dropbetween such elements and between underlying vertical partitions, 011 acfeed conveyor. The vertical partitions underlying the respective=sifter elements define parallel guides which maintain the beans alignedduring their endwise advance on the nonveyor to the slieing means. Abean slicing machine according to the present application includes thefollowing improvement features: narrow inter-partition spaces orpassages obtained by use .0f parallel partitions mounted intermediatebetween the respective partitions which generally underlie individualsiftin-g elements, which intermediate partitions preferably extendsomewhat ab-ove the upper edges of those beneath the sifter elements;combining a generally horizontal si'fter grid and the Partitionstructure with a bean receiving conveyor belt located substantiallybeneath the sifter grid and inclined downward at an appreciable acuteangle in the direction of eonveyor feed. The use of intermediatepartitions as mentioned enables obtaining more accurate alignrnent ofthe beans, hence mo-re nearly perfect endwise slicing action, yetwithout necessitating unduly close spacing between adjacent sifterelements as to impair their operation. The use of a generally horizontalsifting grid and downwardly inclined feed couveyor prevents excessivecumulative piling up of beans thereon, hence blockages.

As the terms horizontal o1 substantially horizontal, etc., are hereinused with reference t the shifting grid it is to be understood that theyalso include inclinations of the grid vom the horizontal by small anglesas well, as much as to degrees inclination being permissible.

These and other advantages of the present machine, including variousillustrated details of construetion will become further apparent fromthe following description based on the accompany-ing drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a slicing mach-ine embodying theinvention.

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Figure 2 is .a plan view, with parts br0ken away, showing certaindetails of the aligning and slic-ing apparatus, Figure 3 is an enlargedsectional side view showing details 04: a preferred slicing mechanism;and Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the illustrativeslicing means, takten on the l-ine 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional end view of the bean aligningapparatus, taken on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Before the beans are carried by the machine to the aligning and slicingmechanism, =they are first discharged into a trough 10 which may containwater if desired. The trough is shown supported directly from themachine frame 12. From this trough the beans are lifted at a more orlass uniform rate, =determined by the working capacity 0:E the machine,by an inclined endless conveyor belt 14, the lower extremity of which isimmersed in the trough to pick up (the beans. If the trough is filledwith water the beans are more evenly distributed over such belt. Atransverse partition 13 carried by the inner end wall of the trough,opposite from the entering conveyor belt, contact, or projectssubstantially into contact With, the upper side ocf the su=bmersedconveyor belt to retain the beans dropped into the trough from settlingto the bottom beneath the belt. In the illustrated oase the slowlyrnoving eonveyor belt 14 ds formed of screen material, With anunderlying drain board 14 the lower end of which overlies the -troughThe conveyor -rises from the trough at an angle of approximately 45degrees. Consequently, as beans are elevated from the trough, any waterearried with them drains back readily into the trough, and the beansdropping over the upper end of the belt onto the sifting grid 15 arecomparatively free of rinsing water.

The illustrated sifting grid 15 comprises a row -0f parallel oppositelyrotated helical screw elements 16 which swing the beans deposited upon-them end 'f01 end until they drop into the spaces between suchelements. As shown, the elements 16 are formed by helieally twistingflat metal strips or bars about their longitudinal central axes. Suchscrew elements have high ribs between which the beans a.re -supportedfor swinging end for end by rotation of adjacent screw elements in thesifting grid,

driven by mechanism to be described. Side board 01' plates 18 projectabove the sides of the sifting grid to retain thereon the beansdeposited by the conveyor belt 14. These same sides eontinue downwardlyto define the outer Walls of a multiple partitioned chute through whichthe beans are guided in dropping onto a feed conveyor 22 which deliversthe beans to the slicing means 24.

A a:eature of the present invention and one which comtributessubstantially to the successful operation of my machine, free frominterruptions by beans lodging in the aligning and feeding mechanism, isthe arrangement of the sifting grid and the underlying feed conveyor.Accordingly, the grid is disposed in a substantially horizontal planeand the feed conveyor 22 at a locat-ion substantially below the sittinggrid and sloped downwardly at an appreciable angle in the direction offeed, toward the sl-icing means 24. This appears most clearly in Figurel, wherein the conveyor 22 is shown tilted at an angle of approxirnately30 degrees downward. At the nearest receiving location of the feedconveyor to the sifting grid the vertical spacing therebetween issufiicient to prevent beans piling up -on the conveyor to the level ofthe grid 15 and cause obstruction. Moreover, as the pile of beansincreases in height over an initial supporting area thereon, moving frombeneath one end of the grid to the other, the dropping oft or downwardslope of the conveyor permits aecommodation of a higher pile and therebyprevents the pile rising to the level o-f the grid at any time.

A further feature of the invention resides in the use, in conjnnctibnWith the 'siftii1g grid 1'5, o'f spaced, parallel bean-guidingpartitiong extending vertically. Carta n Q auch pa tions 20 am disp .s da e.en he. s. .@m@nf' i f au h sifiina gri I5, ex cnin ZOII! b i the P no the 1Qwc1 sidc"o'f au h. elemen. lown. cl e m Itl i fe :d G J QYQI 2.Partitia s Zl arrangs; l l e na y diz.ectly h twe part] QI1S '2' are lqa etl b neiath the sifting el er nents 16. The spagii rjg between adj acent parallel par't'ition5 is therelgjg rnacleappropriately ma s re .cu aa g n t oit th na beans B (Figure l) With the diretionof conveyor 'feed'rn0Vemcn b1. .t i h u :q ng th s .ng ne er yins e 'al rna ir. t .tio s2.1'tobe SO 6 95 15, P J 'd a 't0fr ejnder thein ifieif f:ctlve i nsvqingin'g the beans' in =t h'e dcssirib d ma1inen A Singl th. 1 tt 20in each b t e 'sp 'etwe'c aldi d n;t n .t .ti ns 2.1is pr rather th'antw0 OI IIJQIG 'SPfifldpatitit ions, beca'tuse beans Will 't hen hayelaut sli 'ght tenclerlpy to be'co m'e balanced ojn the npper edg'esthereo'f ti3 prdvent thern from drop- {fing intc r the 'spaces between'adjacent partiti0ns.

It Will b.e noted in connect'io'n 'wifh Figure 5 "that the 'i1lte"rrnediate partitiom 21 extend npwardly approirirnately T0 the planeof the rotation axes 0f the several sifting ele'a1nents,a feature whichhas been fou-nclto be 0f p'radt'ic 'al desirability. The partitions 20and 21 extend close hood cf beans becoming lodged between their lower'e'clges and the surface 0f the conveyonbelt. This spac- -ing ismaintinecl by a -supporting plate 26 over which the fupper str et ihofconveydr belt 22- slides to prevent the belt sagg'ing. All thePartitions extend substantially to the lower extrernity or butput end ofthe conveyor :feed belt 22, to guide the beans agalnst swinging out ofpropet orientation while approaching the slicing mechanisrn "Suchslicing mechanisrn =preferably comprises a plurality of spaced cutterdisks 58 rotated at high speed by a e onrmon drive shaft 60 (Figure 2)."Ehe ooaxially '31igneddisks-58 extend in a series lengthwise of shaft60 the full width of the c0nveyor belt 22, shaft 60 prefer-ably l)eingmounted parallel to the pulleyover which the lower orliisciharge end ofconveyor belt 22 rotates.

The gradually -taper ed cutting edges 0f the disks 58 -enter 'ceoperablenarrow reces;ses in the upright back- -ing plate "64, bet-ween w'hiohand the 'cutting disks the bea'ns clrop endwise from the conveyor belt22. The gro0ved backingplate 64 and -the entering gradually taper'e'ddisk per-ipheries produce the desired elean-cutting =action,shre'cldirig the beans uniforrnly in the direction of their length.Spacing between the successive disks is determined by a plurality ofwashers 62 encircling the zutter mechanisrn b.y enwrapping the shaft 60.Further assurance -a.gziinst such an occ'urrence is pro vided by thescr'apers '63 entering the spaces between successive disks and b.earingtangentially against the periphericz s of the spacers, Wh ieh undetliethe cutter rotor. By reason '0f the tangential and downwardly inclineddisposition jf the scrapersv theyact to cle1anthe qu tter assernblycomstantly -as it rotates. In such locati on any pieces of b eans whichtend topack betwe en adjac ent cutter -disqs a're;positiyelybut notroughly di s l odged by the scrapers aridflr0p free without -interfering with subsequent bean pieces. The s c rapers 63 may be car-riei asillustrated,

by an commnn rocker=bar 5 Whieh h cr p s. y b; swnng -c o'njqintly intpand =out of contact 'Wltl'l the -sp c e s. -6. an memwed fQ l an g bly aay e .m th sl @i g p atz 64- Th plate 6 an the lower edge of the guard66 constituteg an on tglet ahnte through which the bean shreds drop ontoan output sonveyor 29 -f0r transportablen away.

A single rime mover, such as electric motor 28, may be used to drive allof the moving parts of the apparatus, including the elevating conveyor14, the rotated sifting elements 16, the feed conveyor 22, the slicingmeclr anism 24 and the output conveyor 29. As illustrated, the motor 28has a drive shaft 31 which carries two pulleys, 30 and 32. A belt 34interconnects the pulley 32 and a driven pulley 36 w'nlch rotates adrive pinion 38 meshlng With a driVen .g@ar 40. '111e l;atter drives asprocket 42 which in turn drives the chain 44 meshing with therespective sprockets 46, 48, and '50. Sprocket 46 drives the cqnveyorbelt 22, sprocket 48 drives the sifting mechanism and sprocket 50 drivesthe elevating conveyor 14. Sifting mechanism drive sprocket 48 deflectsthe chain 44 part way around the respective sprockets 50 and 46, oneither side of sprocket 48, in the manner illustrated, to providepositive driving engagernent of the chain with these spro ckets at alltirnes The sprocket 48 drives a shaft 52 carrying a plurality of bevelgears 54 meshing with c oacting beVel gears 56 driving the individualseiew elements l6 of the s ifting mechanisrn 15. In the illustrated casethe bevel gears are alternately reversed in -direction of rotation inorder to rotate the -elements opposit-ely to swing beans depositedthereon, although lt will be evident that the elements would be rotatedin the sarne direction if 'their screw -threads were alter-natelyreversed in sense. Other simi- -lar types 0f sif-ting mechani'sms areillustrated in my said copending application.

Pulley 30 on the motor shaft 31 drives the cutter shaft -pulley '35thr-ough a belt 37 in the manner indicated. A belt 39 interconnec-tspulleys on the shafts 42 and 43, respectlvely, to drive the outputconveyor 29, the latter sha'ft, '43, rotating a bevel gear drive 45,driving a couveyor-pulley.

1 clairn as -my invention:

1. Bean aligningrnechanism comprising a plurality of spaced generallyparallel upright partitions, and a sifting grid including a plurality ofsifting elements everlyingeilternate -ones of said partitions, adjacentsifting elements acting oppositely and swinging -beans engaged-therewith intopositions generally parallel to said partitions to dropbetween one ofsaid -alternate partitions and a partitiem between suchalternate partition and an adjaeent; alternate partition.

2. The bean aligning mechanism defined in clairn 1, in which the siftingelements are disposed substantially in a generally. horizontal plane.

3. Tl 1e bean alijgning mechanism define d in cl airn 2, in W'hjh tl1epartitions between the alternate partitions 'are arranged with theirupper edges disposed substantially coplanar with the sifting elements.

4. Bea n al igning mechanism comprising a sifting grid inclu ding aPlurality o f spaced parallel screw elements, me an s opezable torqta;te adjacent ones of said elements toefiiect movement in opp0sitedirections of bean portions -engaged therewith, a .plurality of spacedvertical part-itions generally underlying individual sifting elements,respectively, and a plurality of parallel vertical partitiens disposedintermediately of sai'cl first partitions and between said serewelements, defining nar-rowly spacedparallel guides for beans droppingbetwe en said screw elements.

5. Bean aligni ng mechanism comprising a si ftin g gr i d inc'lu djng aplurality 0f spaced parallel screw elements, me a ns operabl e to rotateadjacen t ones of said elements to efifect r novement in oppositedirections of bean portionsengaged therewith, and a plural ity f spacedvertical partitions generally underlying individual sifting elernmt s,respectively.

(References an fol lqwin g page) References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Packer Jan. 21, 1896 Miller Dec. 23, 1919 5Mason May 25, 1920 6 Olney Oct. 17, 1933 Anstice Oct. 4, 1938 Davis Oct.29, 1940 Kerr Nov. 2, 1943 Harris Jan. 2, 1945 Cutler Jan. 23, 1945

